Daniel Bryan, Magnus and Latest WWE News and Rumors from Ring Rust Radio

Ring Rust Radio is the best wrestling show on the airwaves, and this week was no different. With strong opinions on Daniel Bryan, John Cena and more, this is where you need to go to get all of your weekly WWE nuggets.

Bleacher Report featured columnists Mike Chiari, Donald Wood and Brandon Galvin give the lowdown on all things going on in the wrestling world. Former TNA World Heavyweight champion Magnus also joined the show to offer his inside perspective on the business.

With another unpredictable episode of Ring Rust Radio in the books, you can't afford to miss another second of the action. Catch us live every Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET (some language NSFW), or follow us on Twitter @RingRustRadio.

After missing the April 14 edition of Raw due to his honeymoon, Daniel Bryan returned to action on the April 21 episode of WWE's flagship show. Bryan did so with a heavy heart as he learned that his father passed away upon returning from his honeymoon. The situation was not addressed on WWE programming, and Bryan's role on Raw was brief as the new and improved Kane proceeded to attack Bryan ahead of their encounter at Extreme Rules.

Question on Everybody's Mind: Was Kane Attacking Bryan Effective?

Are you looking forward to Daniel Bryan vs. Kane at Extreme Rules?

Yes, Kane is reinvigorated, and it should be an excellent match.No, Kane doesn't come across as a credible challenger.Submit Votevote to see results

Are you looking forward to Daniel Bryan vs. Kane at Extreme Rules?

Yes, Kane is reinvigorated, and it should be an excellent match.

64.3%

No, Kane doesn't come across as a credible challenger.

35.7%

Total votes: 4,751

Since losing a match to Bray Wyatt at SummerSlam, Kane has not been utilized particularly well. He went away for a while before returning to take on the role of corporate Kane.

That character simply didn't get over with the fans, and it was used to help WWE's top babyfaces pick up televised victories. The Shield dismantled Kane and the New Age Outlaws at WrestleMania XXX, and Bryan beat Kane on several occasions prior to his WWE World Heavyweight Championship triumph at 'Mania.

Due to Kane's failure to stop Bryan as a corporate stooge, he made the decision to become The Big Red Monster once again. The creative team needed to do something significant in order to restore Kane's credibility after months of losing.

Going back to the masked look most definitely helped, but that wouldn't have been enough on its own. Kane had to exert his dominance over Bryan, and that is precisely what he was booked to do on Raw.

Ring Rust Radio's Take

Kane administered one of the most brutal beatings in recent memory, as he hit Bryan with Tombstones on the steel steps and on the announce table. Bryan was essentially helpless, and he was ultimately taken away on a stretcher.

One instance of dominance doesn't necessarily make Kane a credible contender for the title, but it was a huge step in the right direction. Masked Kane is a totally different entity from corporate Kane, and that character alone makes Kane seem legitimate.

Also, the fact that Kane has history with Bryan stemming from Team Hell No helps the feud immensely. It already feels like it's personal, and the attack built upon it. Despite that, a portion of Bryan's fans didn't particularly like the segment due to the perception that it made Bryan look "weak."

Bryan is the ultimate underdog, though, and he has to be built in that manner in order to be successful and interesting. Even though it is blatantly obvious that Bryan is going to beat Kane at Extreme Rules, making him look like the underdog is absolutely paramount.

Following John Cena's victory over Bray Wyatt at WrestleMania XXX, there was some thought that their rivalry would come to an end. That certainly isn't the case, however, as Wyatt and his family continue to torment the leader of the Cenation. That led Cena to challenge Wyatt to a steel cage match at Extreme Rules, and Wyatt ultimately accepted.

Question on Everybody's Mind: Is This Feud Working For the Fans?

Throughout the rivalry between Wyatt and Cena, Wyatt has attempted to expose Cena has a fraud. He claims that Cena's catchphrase of hustle, loyalty and respect is nothing more than lip service.

The crowd has been split regarding Cena for quite some time, and Wyatt has used that to his advantage by garnering face reactions at times. That has led to Cena questioning whether or not he still has a large influence over the WWE Universe.

While it is certainly a sound idea on paper, the fact is that Cena has received varying reactions for the past several years. The fact that he is just coming to that realization now makes him seem somewhat naive.

Also, the fact that Cena goes from being jovial to being afraid of the Wyatts from one week to the next has severely damaged the program. There simply hasn't been any consistency, and it is difficult to take Wyatt seriously as a threat to Cena's status.

Ring Rust Radio's Take

Unquestionably, the biggest problem with this feud is that Cena continues to beat Wyatt. Cena scored a clean win over Wyatt at WrestleMania despite the fact that Luke Harper and Erick Rowan interfered—and despite the fact that Wyatt needed the win far more.

Cena's win over Wyatt on Raw was even more egregious, as he beat the Wyatts in a three-on-one handicap match without much of an issue. If not for Harper and Rowan drawing a disqualification, Cena presumably would have beaten Wyatt cleanly.

Wyatt may very well beat Cena, but even if he does, it very well may not matter anymore. Cena has beaten Wyatt so many times already that when Wyatt finally goes over, it will have lost all meaning. The only thing that can save this feud is if it results in the long-awaited heel turn of Cena, but it is extremely difficult to imagine that coming to fruition anytime soon.

Magnus has long been viewed as a future star in the wrestling business, and his potential was finally realized several months ago when he became TNA World Heavyweight champion. Magnus has been the focal point of TNA programming, and he is viewed by most as the wrestler who will take the company into the future.

Magnus is undoubtedly a busy man these days, but he took the time to sit down with Ring Rust Radio and discuss his status as well as his future plans.

Question on Everybody's Mind: What's Next for Magnus?

After four months as TNA World Heavyweight champion, Magnus dropped the strap in shocking fashion to Eric Young on a recent episode of Impact. Not even the most avid followers of TNA saw that coming, and it's likely that even Magnus was somewhat taken by surprise.

The smooth-talking Brit portrays an arrogant heel on TNA programming, but he didn't hesitate to give credit where credit is due regarding Young's long-awaited title win.

"With EY, he's a great competitor," Magnus said, "and in a lot of ways, he has had to wait his turn and has gotten the crappy end of the stick many, many times over the years and through different regimes in this company. I was glad he was able to be portrayed in the right light and was able to get where he needs to be.

"I'm sure there has been a lot of criticism against me for many things, like there is against anyone, especially when they become a top guy, but I think one thing that no one can deny is that while I've been on top, anyone who’s been in there with me has come out looking better on the other end."

Although Young's victory came from out of left field, it sets the stage for what could be a very intriguing feud moving forward. Magnus is entitled to a rematch against EY, and he will receive his opportunity to regain the title at TNA's upcoming Sacrifice pay-per-view.

Ring Rust Radio's Take

It has been clear for quite some time that Magnus has all the tools to be successful, and the fact that TNA was willing to put its top title on him was a testament to that. At the same time, many fans have complained about the manner in which Magnus has been booked.

Magnus took the easy way out every chance he had, and while that is understandable since he is TNA's top heel, he was never made to look like a credible threat. Magnus constantly needed tons of outside interference to win, and he lost cleanly to EY the first time he was forced into a match on his own.

Regardless of those reservations, Magnus feels as though his run with the title was effective, and he looks forward to more reigns in the immediate future.

"I think that the viewing figures all through my reign as champion can kind of point to the fact that people are just interested in what we're doing now and that it's fresh and exciting," said Magnus. "If I can be a small part in that as the champion, then great.

"Honestly, yeah, it's never fun to lose a championship, but at the same time, this is a business, and we're in this to generate interest in what we're doing. If we can do some good business, then that's what it's all about, and that's a very exciting thing. I'm looking forward to doing more."

Provided Magnus remains on his current path and continues to become more polished in all areas, there is no question that he will be a huge factor in TNA for many years to come.